give thanks

Today I went to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned and found out I have a few cavities. After my hygienist cleaned my teeth and my dentist examined my x-rays they walked me up to the front desk to schedule my next cleaning and make an appointment to get fillings. I was bummed. I drove home in the pouring rain (thank Florida weather for the dramatic effect) feeling deflated and annoyed with myself for not flossing and cursing all those late night Oreo binges. I felt a defeatist attitude creep over me.

When I got home I stood in front of my sliding glass doors and watched the rain fall for a bit. After a couple of minutes of moping, I thought to myself, “How can I make this a moment of gratitude?” I wanted to find the silver lining in this rain cloud. So I ran through a mental list of things I could be grateful for in this situation

I still have all of my teeth (save my wisdom teeth, hallelujah) and they are otherwise healthy and generally straight and white.

I am not experiencing any pain or discomfort

I have access a great dentist with a warm bedside manner

I have dental insurance provided and paid for by my employer

Financially, I am in a good place. When the office staff went over my expected co-pay for the fillings I was not worried about the out-of-pocket costs, I knew I could easily cover them.

After taking a moment to show thanks I was able to put my situation into perspective. I was able to get out of my head and lead a conversation with myself from a space of gratitude rather than from a space of worry or angst. After this little mental meeting, I walked away feeling lighter and less irritated. (And with a new blog post to boot)

I think about all the times I let even the smallest of inconveniences, like getting cut off in traffic or a long line at the grocery store, derail the rest of my day and how I can easily prevent that negative tailspin by taking the opportunity to thank my lucky stars that I have good brakes and build a little more patience.

I encourage you to try this little trick when you’re faced with life’s trials, big and small. When you lose a loved one, or your coworker pisses you off, or your partner eats your leftovers. Pause, take a breath, and take note of all the things you have to be grateful for, not in life but in this particular situation. Find the good in the bad.